The outlet noted that NATO leaders were surprised by the unusual gift presented by the Turkish president after the alliance’s summit in Ankara. He bestowed each guest with a revolver engraved with the recipient’s name, six live bullets, and a note exempting the weapons from export controls.
Officials from alliance member states called the gesture surprising, saying it gave rise to some “insane scenes” among the various delegations’ security teams.
Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever learned of the exact nature of the gift only after landing in Belgium.
“The prime minister was surprised and immediately handed it over to airport police so it could be placed in a secure safe and the matter was handled in accordance with relevant procedures,” an official said on July 9.
Belgian prime minister’s security team also handled the revolvers given to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Von der Leyen expressed her thanks to Erdoğan for the gift, adding that it would be decommissioned and donated to a military museum.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki also received a revolver, which was delivered safely with all the necessary precautions. The incident recalled a 2022 event where Poland’s then-police chief accidentally detonated a gifted Ukrainian anti-tank grenade launcher in his office. Nawrocki's aide assured that this time “no one is going to fire it”.
Several revolvers – including those gifted to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten – have for now remained in Türkiye, due to the complex rules governing the international transport of firearms.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney took his revolver with him but left the ammunition in Türkiye. Canadian officials did not explain why.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s team stated that his gift will be transported to Sweden in accordance with all applicable laws and procedures.
The unusual gift caused a stir not only because of the difficulties entailed in its transportation, but also because of the optics, given the context. The summit focused on the war in Ukraine, the situation in Iran, and relations with the U.S., prompting alliance member leaders to ask why a weapon was chosen as an official gift. Turkish authorities have not commented on the matter as of publication.